Ch-ch-chocolate

Delicious Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

2010-06-04T00:22:00.000-07:00

I visited my parents and sister for Memorial Day and we made the most delicious ice cream. It was super easy and so I just HAD to share it here.

1 pint of strawberries
1 cup of sugar
1 - 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup of heavy cream
2 cups of buttermilk

Cut the strawberries into small piece and place in a bowl. Add the sugar and put in the refrigerator for at least four hours. We used strawberries we purchased that day. Next time I will either use strawberries that had been purchased a few days earlier or previously frozen strawberries. The idea is to get them really soft. This is so you can easily mash them into an almost-puree.

Take the berry mixture out of the refrigerator and mash the berries to your preference. As I said above, I really like the berries extra smashy--I don't like having hard frozen berries in my ice cream.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. You can either place the mixture in your ice cream freezer at this point or put the mixture in the refrigerator until you are ready to freeze. Freeze according to your manufacturer's directions.

If you want soft-serve consistency, serve right away. If you want store-bought consistency, place in freezer until it firms up. I didn't get to try the store-bought consistency since I had to leave shortly after we made the ice cream, but it sure was tasty right after we made it.

YUM!

Easter dinner

2010-04-01T00:09:00.000-07:00

This could be the most boring blog out there.

Easter dinner this year will be ham (a faux Honey-baked variety), twice baked potatoes, green beans (maybe broccoli), rolls, and pretzel salad (I just can't say no). I'm trying to decide between carrot cake and chocolate cupcakes. Since Darrell won't eat either, it really is a question of which I want to eat. And give away.

Can't wait to eat!

Wow! It's true....this blog still exists!

2010-03-05T23:15:00.000-08:00

Since I just posted on my other blog, I figured I would post on this one too.

Here is my meal plan for next week:
Sunday--This yummy looking Lemon Chicken, with brown rice or quinoa, green beans, and rosemary rolls.
Monday--French dip sandwiches, green salad, oven baked potato fries.
Tuesday--Left overs from Sunday.
Wednesday--Pita bread pizza and salad.
Thursday--Baked potato bar--chili, broccoli, cheese, etc.
Friday--Dinner out. :)
Saturday--Some thing on the grill.

Keep your fingers crossed!

It's been a long time since I posted on this blog!

2009-01-12T23:00:00.001-08:00

But if I were you, I'd check out this blog.

Mmmm.....Thanksgiving......

2008-11-21T22:04:00.000-08:00

Here is the plan for Thanksgiving Dinner:

Turkey.

We brine it, which makes it soooo juicy! I think we will smoke it on Darrell's smoker. It really is tasty this way.

Mashed potatoes.

I use Yukon Gold potatoes, lots of butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper. I make mounds of them.

Cornbread stuffing.

I use only cornbread--no white bread. And I try to get it baked as dry as I can--lots of edges and corners. I guess it can't really be called stuffing, since it isn't stuffed into the turkey. I add just a little bit of onion, celery, spices and chicken stock. I like it to be cooked almost dry. No mackiness!

Candied yams.

I haven't really gotten this right in the past. I like to have still firm yams with a little butter and brown sugar carmelized on them. I usually end up with yams a little too mushy for my liking.

Sauteed green beans.

I blanch or steam the green beans and then saute them with olive oil, shallots and sesame seeds. They get a little burnt and taste almost sweet.

Gravy.

Ok. I cheat! I can't make gravy to save my life. I use the gravy that comes in the packets that say, "Just add water." It's my only cheat and it's worth it.

Rolls

Mmmm! Hot, out of the oven, with melty butter. Oh, if only I could have one now.

Raspberry Pretzel Salad.

My mom always makes seven-layer jello salad, but I don't have the skills to do that. So I make the Raspberry Pretzel Salad. My brother-in-law Nathan says this isn't a salad. I don't get it, though. There is raspberries, jello, cream cheese, whipped cream, all on a pretzel crust. He also says that Cookie Salad isn't a salad. Whatever. (I'll have to post the recipe for Cookie Salad one day.)

Cranberry Sauce.

I never liked this as a kid. Then I liked it when I grew up. I always used the canned cranberry sauce, thinking making it from scratch would be hard. Last year I made it for the first time. E.Z. And it tasted so much better.

Pumpkin Pie.

Duh! It isn't Thanksgiving without Pumpkin Pie. I always make the recipe on the back of the Libby can. It's the best one out there! I will probably use the canned pumpkin even though I still have at least 4 more cups of pumpkin puree. It was runnier than the canned pumpkin and I don't want a Pumpkin Pie disaster.

Apple Pie.

I will make the recipe I made last year. This year I will follow the recipe, though. I didn't add enough sugar to last year's and it needed it. The crust was divine! It took almost a week to finish the pie and the crust never got the least bit soggy.

Whipped Cream.

I whip my own. Maybe I'll whip two batches and put either cinnamon or caramel in the batch for the apple pie. That sounds really evil! (I'll tell you what else is evil...that you really can't google image whipped cream without seeing things your eyes weren't meant to see. This is the reason there is no photo.)

Cranberry Juice.

I love to drink cranberry juice for Thanksgiving. With a little Sprite for added zing.

A really long nap.

I think I will get one on Friday after Thanksgiving. After I go to the gym to work off some of the calories above. (And the majority of photos on google images for "nap" are kittens sleeping. I am not a kitten and don't find kittens sleeping as cute as some people.)

It seems I'm always late!

2008-11-08T18:32:00.001-08:00

The month of October had one of my FAV.O.RITE. ingredients!

I was SOOO excited--thanks Julie!

I made four, count them, four recipes.

The first was pumpkin puree. It was a ton of work, but it was fun. I don't know if I will do it again, unless I get a spankin' deal on sugar pie pumpkins.

The second was pumpkin seeds. I was a little disappointed with them. I think it was because the seeds are so much smaller in the pie pumpkins than in the gigantic carving pumpkins. They were a good treat, though.

The third was pumpkin ice cream. The recipe is basically a custard with pumpkin puree (see above) added. My ice cream maker wasn't working properly, so it only froze part way. I took it to Lucinda's and we ate some. It is very rich, so we couldn't eat much. Did I mention it was rich?

The fourth was pumpkin bread. Since I've made the recipe a million times, I added a streusel topping, making it even more dessert-ish. I was delish and I finished the last of it this morning for breakfast. (And, yes, I think all breakfasts should include dessert.)

I really enjoyed my yummy pumpkin recipes. I still have 4 more cups of frozen puree. I will have to think of more delicious foods to make.

Better late than late for dinner!

2008-09-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

This month, or rather, LAST month, the family cooking club had the challenge of making a different recipe of burgers. Any kind of burger. Turkey, veggie, ham (as in hamburger). Whatever.

I decided right away that I wanted to do a stuffed burger.

And I waited. Until today.

Here is my result:

And this is what Darrell's looked like when it was cut in half:

Doesn't the bun look delish? Yeah. I made 'em. The recipe will follow the burger recipe.

I used 80% lean hamburger (they really should call it 20% FAT), since it really makes the juiciest burgers. I had about 1.75 pounds. I added an egg, some Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. I formed 8 really big and skinny patties. For Darrell's, I used grated cheese and bacon bits, sprinkled some in the middle and slapped two patties together, sealing well. For mind, I added some cream cheese. I made 2 burgers for each of us, but froze one set for later.

Darrell grilled over mesquite lump charcoal until done. (No pressing down on the patties while cooking, or a mess will ensue).

Here's the recipe for the buns:

1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon, divided
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for buttering bowl
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, yolk and white divided
2 and 1/4 teaspoon yeast (I use SAF)
3 cups flour

In a microwave safe small bowl, combine 1 cup milk, sugar and butter. Heat until butter just melts and mixture is warm but not hot. If it is hot, wait until it is lukewarm to proceed. In a large bowl, combine salt, egg white, yeast, and flour-one cup at a time, to form a soft dough. (In a separate small bowl, combine remaining egg yolk and tablespoon of milk). Knead dough briefly, about three minutes. Butter same bowl, replace dough, cover and let rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled. (At this point, you could punch the dough down and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours, or until ready to proceed.) Shape dough into 10 separate round buns. You can roll them out and cut them with a biscuit cutter, or you can simply shape them into 10 round buns. Let rise on a greased baking sheet for about 45 minutes, or until light and risen. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush buns with egg yolk mixture. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until nicely browned.

They tasted yummy and I look forward to eating these again!

Enchilalas!

2008-08-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I am late in posting for July's family food club and have no good excuse. This month I was the one to choose our food to make. I chose enchiladas. I have wanted to learn how to make homemade enchilada sauce and figured this was a good opportunity. The recipe was so simple and it didn't take any longer than the one we have always made using the McCormick package.

Here's the recipe:
3 TBSP oil
1 TBSP flour
1/4 cup New Mexican chili powder
16 oz chicken stock
10 oz tomato puree
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
salt

In a saucepan, heat the oil, add flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook 30 seconds. Stir in stock, tomato puree, oregano and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Season with salt.

I then heated corn tortillas in oil and layered in napkins, like Mom always does. My tortillas, however, did not stick like Mom's did in her post. I used shredded chicken, minced onion and "Mexican" cheese (Safeway brand, so it is really cheddar/jack combo) and rolled it all up. I had put a little bit of sauce in the bottom of my casserole pan, so they wouldn't stick and then more on top of the little rolls. I topped with more of my Mexican cheese. Baked them in the oven for 30 minutes at 350.

Here is what they looked like:

They tasted good, but I think Julie's sauce sounds better. That is more of what I was looking for.

I can't wait for August's challenge. Jennilyn is in charge and already knows.

Cooking with Pineapple

2008-06-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

My family decided to start a cooking club, so once a month we get an ingredient, a type of food or recipe that we all have to make and post about it. It was my idea, and I decided that we would choose the food to cook from oldest to youngest. So that means, my mom was first. She decided we would all cook with pineapple--fresh, canned, juice, whole....whatever we wanted, but it had to be pineapple.

I decided to grill fresh pineapple and make a pineapple chicken salad.
First, I cut the pineapple into wedges, sprinkled them with lime juice and grilled them for about 4 minutes each side.
I originally was going to use a recipe I got off Food Network's website, but I decided to modify it.
I grilled chicken with salt and pepper. Actually, Darrell grilled the chicken.
Since he doesn't like fruit, I made brown rice for him to eat with his chicken. I decided to add some rice to my salad, so I started with brown rice, added my chicken, snap peas, jicama, mandarin oranges, sliced almonds and a honey-lime vinaigrette that I made with honey, lime, rice vinegar, salt and pepper. I thought it was good, but I decided that the dressing and the pineapple didn't quite match. Here are some photos!

Baking=Chemistry

2008-04-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

Baking is truly Chemistry in action. While there is an art to baking-creating something new and delicious with flavors-it truly is a science. I may have forgotten that today. In my quest to make Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies, I combined 2 recipes which were very different, into one. The results are still unknown, as there is still 10 minutes of baking time left. However, looking through the glass door, has me concerned. Here is the recipe. I will update later with the results.
1/2 cup Butter
2 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used extra crunchy)
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Melt butter and chocolate. Add sugars, peanut butter, vanilla and eggs. Mix thoroughly. Add flour, soda and salt. Mix to combine. Pour into oiled 8" square pan. Top with miniature Reese's peanut butter cups (found with the chocolate chips). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

A little slice of heaven...

2008-03-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's that time again. Daring Baker post-a-thon. This month I actually completed my baking endeavor a full week before the deadline. We were making a layer cake and were given a lot of latitude in how exactly to make it. The basic recipe is for a white cake with a hint of lemon. It sounded divine, but I always crave chocolate, so I decided right away to make a devilish chocolate cake. But, realizing that I would probably be making my cake around Easter, I went for the original recipe so that I could use fresh berries. Here is a brief story-board of my attempt:

This is all the ingredients, right before mixing them in a bowl with my hand mixer. After reading a few comments about making sure everything got mixed well together, I decided to use the hand mixer instead of my Kitchen Aid. It worked really well and I got to use a new stainless steel bowl from Ikea. The only real problem I had was in separating the eggs. I have always done this very easily, using 2 methods. I either pour the egg back and forth between the two halves of the egg shell or "sift" the egg through my fingers. This time, I had 3 egg yolks break, so I went through almost a dozen eggs for the full recipe. I was going to make vanilla ice cream with the yolks, but decided that was just a little too ambitious. Some other day, though. I really liked the slight lemon flavor that the cake had. It was very light, airy and tender. But it held together well. I let the cake cool overnight, only covered by a towel instead of plastic wrap--I don't know if that was part of the ease in cutting it for the layers.

Here are the ingredients for the Buttercream:

I used the Kitchen Aid to make the Buttercream and it worked splendidly. I wasn't concerned with watching it, so I don't know if it curdled or not. I just know that if it did, it came together nicely. It could have used slightly more flavor--either more lemon or more vanilla. I juiced 2 lemons and got 1/2 cup of juice, so I made a small glass of home made lemonade with the extra quarter cup. What a nice treat!

I sliced the 2 layers in half and filled with buttercream, followed by sliced strawberries. I finished with buttercream on top and sides and whole berries on the top. I shared cake with friends at Easter dinner and then tried to finish the rest over the next few days. The cake stayed delicious, but by Thursday the berries were well past their prime and I was unable to finish the remaining 2-3 slices. Here is a photo of the cake, just prior to serving:

I think I figured out how to add photos...cross your fingers!

2008-02-03T21:24:00.000-08:00

Clearly, you have to add the photos in the opposite order you want to view them. This is how you would assemble the free-form tartlets, in reverse!

Daring Baker, Round 2

2008-01-28T19:24:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not (and I opt for not), it is again Daring Baker time. This month’s challenge is Lemon Meringue Pie. Since I am not a fan of lemon curd or meringue, I was not particularly excited about this month’s challenge. But I decided I would not let this stop me.
I started the recipe Sunday, the 27th, by baking the tartlet crusts and making the filling. The crust was super easy to make—I used my Cuisinart as I find it so much easier than a pastry blender. I rolled out and cut six 5-inch circles of dough and baked them until they were just browned along the edges. The recipe does not call for pricking the pastry dough, so I was a little nervous since all pre-baked crusts I have made in the past have risen a little. I ended up nervous for no reason—they turned out nicely. I think I may have rolled the dough a little too thin, but they look good nonetheless.
The filling was definitely not like any lemon curd I have made in the past. I ordinarily use it as a sauce, and so it doesn’t need to “gel” as much as the filling for the pie needs to. I just wasn’t expecting it to be SO thick. It made it very difficult to temper the egg yolks. I was very grateful my husband wasn’t too far away so I could yell for help when trying to pour, scrape out and stir all at once. I let the filling and crusts sit overnight (yes, the filling was in the fridge) so that I could finish them Monday. I didn’t want them to go soggy and couldn’t deliver them until Monday. Since neither me nor my husband like the desserts, they found homes elsewhere. It was either that or the garbage. And I try not to waste food.
I found the meringue very easy to make. I just used my Kitchen Aid to whip them up. Perhaps since last month’s challenge also included meringue, I wasn’t too afraid of making it at the last minute. It turned out perfectly.
So now for the assembly: I opted for 3 tartlets. First the crust. Next the curd. And finally the meringue. The curd, although I thought too thick last night, didn’t seem to mound as highly as I was hoping. The meringue made up for it. I spooned it on, thick; then created extra peaks by touching the spoon to the top. I was pretty pleased with the way they looked. I baked them for only half the recommended time. They were done on the outside in only 7 minutes and I don’t want them to be burned. I am assuming they will be quite undercooked inside due to baking for only half the time and having cold filling.
In a twist of events, I decided to not give them away. Oh, don’t worry…I did not eat them. I tried the curd and it tasted way too egg-y for my taste and it appears that I scrambled some of the yolks. The curd/lemon custard recipe was by far the most difficult one I have made—and I have made many custards and find them easy. They usually aren’t as thick, making them easier to mix and I can put them through a sieve to eliminate any lumps. I was afraid I wouldn’t have any curd if I tried the sieve method.
Overall, I am glad I didn’t promise the dessert to any friends. I would have been embarrassed to serve it to them. But, since I didn’t really have to purchase any ingredients, I guess it was a good learning experience. I’m crossing my fingers to bake something I really enjoy in February.

P.S. I still haven't figured out how to post photos. :( I am going to do this sometime tonight.

Here's the recipe:

Lemon Meringue Pie
(from "Wanda's Pie in the Sky" by Wanda Beaver)
Daring Bakers Challenge #15: January 2008

Host: Jen (Canadian Baker)

Posting Date: Monday January 28, 2008 (Note: The challenge recipe needs to remain a secret until the post date. We all post on the same day. You may post as soon as it is January 28th where you are.)

Challenge Requirements:
1. Pie flavor must be lemon

Allowed Modifications:
1. You may make either the pie or the Lemon Meringue Free Form Tartlets (recipe follows Lemon Meringue Pie)
2. You can compliment your pie with a sauce. For example, you can serve it with raspberry or white chocolate sauce.
3. You can use a piping bag to apply the meringue if you like
4. Decoration is up to you - lemon zest or fruit are totally acceptable.
5. High altitude modifications are allowed as long as you stay "true" to the recipe.
6. Conversion for certain dietary restrictions like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan etc. is allowed.
7. Recipe ingredient exception allowed only if allergy or an ingredient not available or cost prohibitive in your region.

Lemon Meringue Pie
Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie

For the Crust:
3/4 cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces
2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/3 cup (80 mL) ice water

For the Filling:
2 cups (475 mL) water
1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 mL) cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
3/4 cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

For the Meringue:
5 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
3/4 cup (180 mL) granulated sugar

To Make the Crust:
Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt.Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of 1/8 inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

To Make the Filling:
Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

To Make the Meringue:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.

Daring Bakers Extra Challenge: Free-Style Lemon Tartlets
(from "Ripe for Dessert" by David Lebovitz)

Prepare the recipe as above but complete the following steps:

To roll out tartlet dough, slice the dough into 6 pieces. On lightly floured surface, roll each circle of dough into a 5 inch disk. Stack the disks, separated by pieces of plastic wrap, on a plate, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To bake the dough, position rack in oven to the centre of oven and preheat to 350ºF (180ºC). Place the disks of dough, evenly spaced, on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely.

To finish tartlets, first place oven rack in the upper third of the oven and increase heat to 425ºF. Divide the lemon filling equally among the disks, mounding it in the centre and leaving a 1-inch border all the way around. Spoon the meringue decoratively over each tartlet, right to the edges, in dramatic swirling peaks.

Return tartlets to oven and bake for about 5 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown.

Late Yule Log Posting

2008-01-19T10:47:00.000-08:00

You know how they say, Better Late Than Never? Well, I think they are right.

I made the Yule Log December 25th and it turned out delicious! Everyone loved the way it looked, even before the buttercream frosting.

I'm hoping I can post photos, as I haven't quite figured that out yet. Here goes:

So I only get error messages...I will try later!

I am a Daring Baker....

2007-12-23T16:11:00.000-08:00

I am a Daring Baker. I have joined the ranks of those who dare to bake something each month that is a little out of the comfort range. Each month we are given our assignment and a deadline. We then bake away and, on the designated day, post about the entire baking experience. This month, we are baking a Yule Log. A genoise cake, filled, rolled and frosted with buttercream. And no Yule Log is complete without the mushroom garnishment--either made of meringue or marzipan. I have looked forward to this challenge since it was issued. I have dreamt of the filling I would use--this is one of the few variables in the Yule Log equation allowed. I finally settled on the flavors last night and made my last minute purchases. I will have a Chocolate Genoise, filled with Raspberry Whipped Cream and frosted with a Chocolate Buttercream. I had made the Meringue Mushrooms Friday night with my sister and fellow DB'er, Julie (found at jillioninklings.blogspot.com).
I went into the kitchen just now to bake my chocolate genoise and decided to be an even more Daring Baker. I am daring to wait until Christmas Day to make my Yule Log. I am too tired from delivering gifts to friends today to begin the baking process. Plus, I want the Yule Log to be served on Christmas Day and just don't have room in the fridge to keep it until then.
So I dare to wait to bake until I am a little more ready to give it my full attention. I hope that this isn't considered too much of a faux pas in the Daring Baker world. I am committing now to complete January's challenge early in the month. But sometimes a little sanity is more important than chocolate Yule Log. (I really must not be feeling well to have those words cross my mind--nothing is ever more important than chocolate!).
I was going to post photos of the process of making my Meringue Mushrooms. I still haven't assembled them. Julie took the photos and loaded them to my computer, but I don't know where she saved them. She will be here for Christmas, so until then, imagine the most marvelous meringue mushrooms you've ever seen. They pale in comparison to ours. :)

Daring Baker

2007-11-30T17:48:00.000-08:00

I have joined Daring Bakers--an online community of bakers who get a monthly challenge and then bake and blog about it. Tomorrow I find out December's assignment and I am excited. But, for all you not-so-Daring's out there, I cannot let you in on the top-secret recipe until the assigned date to post. Check back often...I still have to post on my Thanksgiving dinner results. And you DON'T want to miss out on the baked good o' the month!

Thinking Thanksgiving

2007-11-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is only a week away and I am stressing out a little bit. I start a new job on Monday, so I think I need to have most of my shopping done before I start. Darrell and I got an invite to go to a friend's home for Thanksgiving dinner, but I really enjoy making (and eating) all my usual foods. It just doesn't feel like Thanksgiving if I don't have the dinner I make. Ok, if my mom or anyone in my family makes the dinner, it still feels the same, because we have the same things. But a friend. Not quite. So we will join some friends for dessert and we can call it all good.

So here is my Thanksgiving Dinner, as planned so far.
*Turkey breast, brined and smoked on the grill--oh so tender this way!
*Mashed potatoes--Yukon golds with butter and sour cream (I will use light sour cream to cut a couple of calories)
*Cornbread stuffing. I will make the stuffing on Tuesday probably to give it time to dry out. I need to remember to make less than I think I need since I usually end up with way too much!
*Turkey gravy. I'm AWFUL at making gravy. This year I will try to make some from turkey (or chicken) stock from a box. I will have some packaged, just-add-water-mix handy though, just in case.
*Green beans with shallots, bacon and either almonds or sesame seeds.
*Candied yams. Or I may just bake a sweet potato to save a calorie or two and because Darrell doesn't care for the yam/sweet potato.
*Cranberry sauce. I intend to make my own this year. Still trying to decide on the recipe to use. Do I go with simple (cranberries, sugar and water) or complex (orange juice/zest, nuts, etc)?
*Rolls. Homemade. Hot. MMMMM.

For dessert, I want to make:
*Pumpkin Pie. I have been waiting a very long time for this. Last year I made a tragic mistake and bought it from Costco. It seemed like in years past, it was as good as homemade. Not last year. In the time it took to wander the Costco while they baked a fresh batch, I could have made one at home and loved it.
*Deep Dish Apple Pie. I seriously wanted only one pie this year-pumpkin. Until I got a copy of Cook's Illustrated, in which they describe how to make the perfect DDAP. It sounds so yummy that I have to make it.
*I will, of course, make some whipped cream. With just the right amount of sugar and vanilla. Perfect to add to either pie.
*And because Darrell doesn't like pie, I will make the dessert of his choice. It will probably be white cake from a mix and white frosting from the tub. This is one of his favorite desserts. The cake is pretty good. It's the frosting that I can't stand. But it is his dessert and I don't have to eat any of it, since I will have more than enough of my own.

I do have some other foods that I want sometime between now and the end of the year:
Pumpkin bread
Cranberry nut bread
Pretzel jello salad
Almost any pumpkin dessert

We'll see what happens.

I will post more about what I end up making and how everything turns out. I will share any recipes I use and hope that I don't end up the size of a Buick.

Chocolate Chip Chookies

2007-11-05T21:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I made chocolate chip cookies--I decided to try to get a little creative with the name since the cookie isn't the most creative. I LOVE chocolate chip cookies! I can't seem to get enough of them. Tonight after eating dinner, I couldn't think of anything else but chocolate chip cookies. Warm and oozy from the oven. Since I am trying (rather unsuccessfully thus far) to eat healthier, I tried to talk myself out of making the cookies. I thought that I could run over to Safeway and get one cookie. Ok, well probably more than one cookie, but far fewer than a whole batch. And since Darrell is no friend of the baked good, I knew I would eat way too many cookies if I made them. But I didn't want to go to Safeway a second time today. And even though their bakery produces a good cookie, it wouldn't be the same. So I broke down. The good news is, I only made half a batch. I make a modified Toll House recipe. Here is the recipe that makes a half batch. Which is perfect for when I am jonesing for A cookie and not 5773 cookies.

Stephanie's Chocolate Chip Chookies

1 stick of butter*
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg**
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips***

Preheat oven to 325. Beat butter until smooth and creamy; add sugars and cream until light (in Color and Texture) and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat for about 5 minutes. The texture should look a lot like a butter cream frosting. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add chocolate chips.

Drop in large blobs (about 1/4 cup) on ungreased and cool cookie sheet. Bake in oven for 15-16 minutes for a light cookie and 18-20 minutes for a darker cookie. Allow to rest on cookie sheet for a couple of minutes and transfer to a cooling rack (yeah, right--eat quickly).

*Butter should be at room temperature. I was in a rush and the butter had been in the freezer. I let it sit out for about 30 minutes and then microwaved it for 15 seconds. This seemed to be perfect. You want it so it is no longer cold, but not melted. I think I read that this will help make an emulsion. (Thank you Alton Brown!).

**Egg should also be at room temperature. I don't have a shortcut for this--definitely NOT the microwave. I guess you could place the egg in some room temperature (or slightly) warmer water. I have not tried this and cannot, as of yet, recommend this. I may get more desperate in the future, so stay tuned. Again, I believe this helps with the emulsion and creaming of the wet ingredients.

***Semi-sweet, bittersweet or dark chocolate are all options here. Milk chocolate is NOT! It is too sweet and not quite right. In addition to chocolate chips, you can use chunks or large pieces broken from a larger bar. I guess Dark M&M's are another option. Try to avoid the mini-chips or too small of pieces, as they don't give you the right texture.

I always use 2-3 times the amount of vanilla called for--it helps the chocolate stand out from the cookie. I also really like to taste a little bit of salt, so I use 1.5 times the amount called for in typical recipes.

Although I didn't put any nuts or additional add-ins to these cookies, I do think they can add something extra. I hate walnuts--they don't taste that good and always give me canker sores, so I can't recommend them. I do like pecans or even macadamia nuts. Another yummy option is dried cranberries. Dried cherries would probably be good, but I am picky and won't try them. (P.S. -Darrell and I are both extremely picky and there are so many things that one of us loves and the other hates--it's a wonder we ever decide on something to eat!).

I usually need to eat 2 cookies right away and then am good to go. I will then wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge. If I don't think I will make the rest of the cookies by the next day, I then wrap it in foil and place in the freezer. Out of the fridge, the dough takes another 1-2 minutes to cook; out of the freezer, if you can cut it into chunks, it takes about 3-5 minutes longer. I try not to eat too much of the dough prior to cooking--not because I am afraid of salmonella or food poisoning. Once, in college, I ate so much dough, I couldn't eat the cookies I made. I don't want to get to that point again. Not yet, at least.

Happy baking!

This is my blog....

2007-11-01T00:53:00.000-07:00

This is my blog on food.